davidbwilliams

i was just wondering if i used 3'' 00buckshot what is the max.. yards that it would kill a deer .... i was thinking it was like 40 yards but iv heard people sayin it will kill a deer up to 75yards please let me no wat u think -david-

ths78

A single 00 Buck Pellet (33 Caliber) is capable of cleanly killing any deer on broadshots out to 100 yds. IF it hits the heart/lungs. The problem is that with a shotgun you aren't placing shots like you do with a rifle. Pattern density is the key. Extra full chokes will help extend your range.

I'd say the farthest that you can shoot is at the distance in which you can no longer put one pellet on a pie plate 100% of the time.

I've had great success with the Winchester SuperX 3" 00Buck.

James B

I don't know much about buckshot as it is not legal in our state. Only slugs may be used by shotgun hunters. It all rifle where I hunt. I don't think I would stretch shots with buckshot much past 40-50 yards. What buckshot I have used throws a pretty sparse pattern at much past that. I quess it depends on how your gun patterns it.

CLOUD 9, MN

I wouldn't shoot buckshot for deer, definetly go with a slugs!

Good Luck!

02bhntn

You can get all kinds of different opinions on this subject. From Buckshot should not be used to I kill deer out to umpteen yards with it. The thing you need to do is pattern your gun with several brands to find out what works for your gun. I use 3" #1 Buckshot for my deer hunting. i know my guns patters and I shoot it with a full choke. anything other than the full choke and the pattern is terrible. I have shot buckshot for about 18 years now and it is a very deadly load. You just have to know what your gun likes and pattern it. You also have to know YOUR limitations. i know folks that will take shot at deer at 75 yards with out even thinking about it. They don't do any damage because they aren't even coming clse to hittin it especially when it's moving throught thick woods.

It all comes down to ywhat your gun likes and the patterning there of.

Good luck this season and hit 'em hard.

UncleNorby

Buckshot can be effective. To me it is a 50-60 yd load, max. Don't just take for granted what others tell you about how they use it. You must try it in your gun. Use it like you would any bullet, look for an opening, don't take shots through brush intentionally, thinking that some of the pellets must make it through.

Pattern your gun. I would not use it past the range that I got less than 50% of my pellets in a pie plate. One pellet may kill a deer, but you may not find it. The choke of your gun will determine your effective range, but tighter is not always better. A choke that is too tight may deform the pellets to the point that they fly erratically, and open the pattern too much. I would buy a variety of buckshot sizes and see which gives you the best pattern at 40-50 yds.

You will not get many pass throughs with Buckshot. It will penetrate, but often stops under the hide on the far side. This means sparse blood trails. Do not give up trailing because you find little or even no blood. If you don't hit the head or spine, deer will often go a long ways with buckshot. Keep on the trail.

Given the choice, I would still go with slugs. I'm sure you can find a rifled slug that will give acceptable accuracy out to 50 or even 75 yds, and that's a better deal as far as I'm concerned.

o2bebowhunting

i also use #1 buck and have had good results. in a hunting club where i belong, more than 75 % of the hunters use #4 buck and have killed deer at 50 yards with it. of course, who knows how many deer that they thought they missed are running around w/ # 4 buckshot in them. its a controversial problem/debate in this club.

JagMagMan

I have taken a couple of deer with buckshot. I would not recomend buckshot beyond 50 to 60 yards, and I'd prefer #1 buck over 00 or 000, it patterns better, and is just as deadly, IF you stay within buckshot range! Anything beyond 50 to 60 yards with buckshot is a "hail Mary!" Which is fine in football, but not very ethical when hunting fine game animals such as the Whitetail deer!
I will probably never use buckshot again, unless I know for sure I'm going to have very short shots. Buckshot is deadly, but does not expand like bullets do, so if your deer doesn't drop on the spot, you could be in for a hard, if not impossible tracking job! The farther your shot too, the more likely it will be that the deer will not drop on the spot, and the chances for recovering the deer will be slim to none!
Give me a rifle, a slug, or a bow any day, over buckshot!

Broadhead88

I used to use 3" 00 buck out of my Mossberg 500 Imp Cyl and had great success inside of 40+ yards. Most of my shots were during drives where you were stationed for a 20-40 yard shot. It is definitely deadly when done right but I have also seen results of poor judgement shots.

Good luck and play around with some loads before heading afield.

Bob

CamoCop

i can't speak for anyone else, opinions are like buttholes....everyone has one. i have however taken a wild hog at 100 yards with my shotgun shooting buckshot. i use a mossberg 835 ulti-mag /w a extra full choke and shoot 3 1/2 inch magnums (00 buck).